Tire lock



Nov. 20 1923.

G. A. E. MELLIN TIRE LOCK Filed June 22. 1921 mlllllllul: -..Il j/ .|I FD i= lu 5 QI-*r z gnomi )fot 61H01 nu Patented Nov. 20, 19.23.

UNITED STATES PATENT olffrlcrfL-v GUITAFA. E. MELLIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR HUGHES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

T O FREDERICK T.

TIRE Loox.

Application filedl June 22, l9 2l. Serial No. 479,486.

T o all who/m, t may coowewz.: Beit known that I, GUs'rAr A.- E. MELLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, vhave invented a new and useful Tire Lock, of .which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tire lock and is particularly directed to a device adapted for cooperation with the tire valve stem.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking device adapted for attachment to a tire valve stem after said stem has been engaged through an aperture in the tire supporting means to revent'the valve stem being removed there rom by unauthorized persons i Another object is to provide a device which is also adapted to be applied to the valve stem of a tire mounted upon the which illustrate a preferred form of em-f bodiment of the invention.

Of the-drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of a spare tire and the rim positioned on a circular tire rack, with the device of the present invention engaged on'the valve stem.

ig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-m2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device in normal condition. Fig. 4 isa front elevation of the device in the position 'shown in Fig. 2, and with the padlock removed.

Fig. 5 isa section on line :r5-:z:5 of Fig. 2.

' Fig .6 is a section on line aneof Fig. 2.-

The device herein illustrated and. de-

scribed is adapted tol cooperate with tire racks which are provided with an aperture throughwhich thev valve stem of the spare tire is adaptedto extend, the specific type of rack illustratedcomprising a circular 'ring 1 having an aperture at its upper portion to receive the tire valve stem and a clamp member 2 to maintain the lower portion of the tire on the rack. The spare tire 3 is mounted on a wheel rim 4 and inflated and is positioned on the tire rack with its valve stem extended through the aperture.

in said rack and the device ofthe present invention then attached to the stem and locked against removal by 'unauthorized persons.

It will here he mentioned that the type oft-ire rack disclosed 'is merely illustrative 4as it will be evident that various other types of tire rack are adaptable for cooperation with the device of the present invent1on.

The lock comprises a non-rotative tubular body member 5 havin a peripheral bead 6 at lits lower end, an a rotatable'tubular body member 7 telescopcally engaging over the lower end of the member 5 with its upper peripheral edge turned inwardly and providing a connection permitting the member 7 to rotate upon the member 5 and to move longitudinally thereof while at the same time preventing the members from becoming entirely detached from each other.

The upper end of the body member 5 is provided with opposed ,ears and extending forwardly and rearward respectively and adapted to engage the tire rack 1, and the bore of said body member for a portion of its length as diametrically opposite flat portions 9- (see Fig. 5) which lit the flat sidesv 10 of the standard type ofy tire valve stem 11 and prevent a rotation of the body member 5 on the valve stem. Said dat por-- tions of the .bore are preferably formed by compressing the body member as indicated at l2.

The lower end of the body member 7 has a portion 13 of reduced diameter with its inner wall threaded to be screwed upon the reduced terminal end of the valve stem (seeFig. 2).

- Extending from the side wall of the body member 5 is a pair of relatively spaced ears 14 and extending from the side wall .of the body member 7 is a similar pair of relatively spaced ears 15. A lock lever 16 is positioned between the ears 14 and is pivoted 4on a pivot pin 17 which permanently riveted -in place. Said lever has a transverse vorifice 18 and its free end is contoured to provide a handle portionI 19 to facilitate a I' convenient o ration of the lever. 'The ears 15 of the bo y member 7 are provided withv bo1t2'1 of a padlock 22 inserted through the `aligned orices. t

Y In applying the device the body is slid upwrdly on to the .tire valve stem, the body member 5 being held against rotation by the flat portions 9 of its bore engaging the fiat sides lOof the valve stem. The body member 7 is then rotated causing the threaded reduced portion 13 to be screwed uponrthe reduced end of the valve stem. The member 7 is rotated until the body member 5 is relatively tight against the tire rack 1.and the ears 15 are vertically` aligned vwith the ears 14 ofthe member 5.v Y

' The lock lever 16 is then depressed the padlock applied as above explained.

With this device applied to the valve stem of a tire positioned upon the tire rack, said tire cannot be removed until the padlock is unlocked and removed and the lock lever 16 disengaged from the ears 15. The body member 7 can then be unscrewed from the tire 4valve stem and the device bodily removed, after which. the tire maybe removed y from the tire rack.

From the above it `will 4be seen that the present invention provides'a spare tire lock which is quickly and easily .manipulated and that it provides a device which will prevent* a removal of a spare tire from a tire rack by'anyperson not having a key to lit the padlock. v y While in the above description, it has been stated that the device is particularly adaptedv for cooperation With the tire valve stem of a spare tlre positioned upon a tire rack, the device is also 'adapted to be applied to`the l valve stem of a tire mountedipon the Wheel of a machine, when it is desired to prevent a theft of the tire by its removal from the wheel.

I claim p v 1. In a tire lock, the combination with a tire valve stem,of a tubular bodyadaptedto engage over the valve stem,a member rotatable onthe body and having a screw-thread engagement with the valve stem, a pivoted lock lever carried by the body, the rotatable i member having relatively spaced ears between which the free end of said lever may engage to prevent rotation of the rotatable member, and means for locking the lever to said'ears 2. In a tire lock, the combination with a.

tire valvestem, of a tubular body adapted to engage over the valve stem, a rotatable member carried by the body and having a screw-threadedl portion adapted to engageA -the valve stem, said member having rela-l tively spaced ears provided with aligned orifice adapted to align with the'orifices rof the ears, anda lock .having a bolt adapted to be inserted through the aligned orifices. Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 11th day of June, 1921..' v

GUSTAF A. E. .MELLIN.

` Witnesses: l

CLARENCE B.; FOSTER,-

l L. BELLE WEAVER.

orifices, alock lever pivoted'on the body and I adapted to engage between said ears tomain- 

